Tag Archives: disaster

Fukushima

In one Japanese town evidence that Tsunami was 30 meters high (almost 100 feet)

A joint research team from Yokohama National University, and University of Tokyo, surveyed the city of Ofunato, in Iwate Prefecture.

Things like fishing gear and remains of boats were found on a cliff.  The only way the stuff could have gotten to the top of the cliff was if the Tsunami was at least 29.6 meters high (97 feet).

The height of the March 11 tsunami varies along the Japanese coast line, because of the shape of the land. The bay at Ofunato is very narrow and would force the wave higher.

Fukushima, Idaho

Idaho not reporting any Radiation from Japan

As of 28 March 2011, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is not reporting any increase in radiation levels in Idaho, on their RadNet site.

Also, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare believes that currently the risk of high radiation levels, from Japan, is still low.

The IDHW has a Japan situation page that lets Idahoans know about monitoring, food safety and FAQs like; “Should I start taking Iodide?”

(don’t take iodide unless you’re real close to a nuclear disaster ’cause to much iodide is bad for you)

 

 

Fukushima

Reactor turbine rooms like Radiators on a Car, and it’s time to change the fluid

Officials are struggling with the latest set back at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant; flooded turbine rooms.

The turbine rooms are where the coolant is cooled, basically giant heat exchangers, or radiators. The problem is that the rooms have flooded with water that has mixed with fuel rods in the reactor cores, making the water highly contaminated.  Before they can do anymore work they have to get the water out.

Tokyo Electric Officials were thinking of pumping the contaminated water into the turbine condenser (it’s like a radiator on a car), but, oh yeah, the condensers already have water in them.  The contaminated water is so bad that it’s basically nuclear waste. You can’t just let it drain out into the ground water , or ocean.

So they are trying to drain the condensers, and then pump the contaminated water into the condensers. They’ve already begun on reactor 1 turbine room. Reactor 2 turbine room has radiation levels of 1,000 millisieverts per hour. TEPCo officials don’t know when they can attempt to drain reactor 2 turbine room because of the radiation levels.

They’re also dealing with a tunnel/trench found under the reactors, and found filled with contaminated water.

Fukushima

“Grand Vision” reconstruction of Japan will rely on Clean Green Energy

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, says the “Grand Vision” of reconstructing Japan will include clean energy.

Edano made it clear that reconstruction planning is on the back burner due to the current disaster, but that clean energy will be one of the “pillars” of the plan.

He mentioned bio-fuels and solar power, as being examples of the type of clean energy that will be used.

Fukushima

Evacuation Preperations Ramping Up in Japan, Condition Dire

Japanese Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, says people living in the nuclear disaster zones are in “…dire condition…”, and a Disaster Management Special Task Force is being created, for evacuations, and decontamination.

The task force will prepare to begin accepting evacuees, and establish decontamination sites.

Also, temporary housing will be established for the thousands of people that will be affected.

 

Fukushima

Cesium-137, watch out

A U.S. nuclear expert, in Japan, stated that no one should get to worried about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster, until cesium starts showing up.

Cesium (aka Caesium) is the main reason people can not live near Chernobyl, even 25 years after that disaster. The expert said cesium was spread all over, and in huge amounts, by the Chernobyl reactor melt down. Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years.

Cesium-137, and many other cesium isotopes, are used in nuclear power plants (as well as other applications, like dirty bombs).

Has cesium been detected following the Fukushima Daichi disaster? Yes. The University of Nevada has detected cesium-137 between 17-21 March.  The levels were small, but they represent the early days of the nuclear disaster in Japan, things have gotten worse since.  On 29 March, South Korea reported that they have detected cesium-134 & 137.

Cesium builds up in soil and plants. Cesium ingested by people can kill. Tests were done on dogs, and it killed them within three weeks.

Besides Chernobyl, there was another nuclear disaster involving cesium.  It did not involve a nuclear power plant. It was outdated radioactive medical cesium chloride, in Brazil in 1987.  Four people were killed, 245 were contaminated, by a thimble sized amount.

Fukushima

Japanese Government creating task force for Long Term efforts to contain Nuclear Disaster

Cabinet Secretary Edano Yukio said they are putting together a task force, to focus on the LONG TERM care of workers fighting the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.

They will also provide rest shelters, basically mobile homes, so the workers will have a place to live.

Edano also said they will have to begin replacing the workers currently struggling to contain the nuclear disaster.

Fukushima

Edano says Plutonium serious concern

Despite nuclear experts downplaying the detection of plutonium around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japanese Cabinet Secretary, Edano Yukio, says the situation is extremely serious.

Edano said that two of the samples showed a type of plutonium that could have only come from nuclear fuel rods. The Japanese government believes this is more proof that fuel rods are, or have, partially melted.

 

 

 

International

Last Geisha survives Tsunami, again

She survived fire bombings by the United States during World War 2, she survived three smaller tsunamis, and she survived the March 11 tsunami.

“But this tsunami was the worst of all.”-84-year-old, TSUYAKO Ito

The recent tsunami destroyed most of her belongings.

“I found a car and a dead body in my house.”

Ito says her first memory, from when she was a child, is of her mother carrying her, and running from a tsunami. She became a Geisha at the age of 12, after her father became to sick to work. Ito lives in the steel town of Kamaishi. She says she is the last Geisha in Kamaishi.

Even at 84 she still has, or had, clients: “The hardest thing was that a lot of my fans passed away.” (due to the tsunami)

Ito wants to work until she is 88: “…I still have my performing skills and spirit. This is my pride. Even a tsunami cannot take them from me.”


International

Aid for Japan not being distributed fast enough, it’s all in the Logistics

International help is pouring into Japan, but, according to officials, distribution is slow because some of the help is not adequate for the needs, or, relief personnel are not prepared to accept the help.

The Foreign Ministry has accepted contributions of personnel, including rescue teams, from at least 21 nations, territories and international organizations. Also, it has accepted aid supplies from 26 countries.

You can’t blame the Japanese for the slow distribution of aid, some countries are slow on getting the help to Japan. For example: Singapore took eight days, after their announcement of support, to actually send aid. And that’s not to bad, getting huge amounts of aid out can be a logistical nightmare.

Add to that, the recipient country has to have personnel in place, ready to accept the aid.  Many countries, and aid organizations, that want to send help say they have to wait until the get the go ahead from the Japanese government.

So, next time you hear how much aid your country is sending to a disaster area, realize that it’ll likely take weeks before it actually gets there.